Nonstaining coated fabric



Patented Mar. 21, 1944 MerleH. Chamberlin, Newburgh, N.

to E. L du Pont d Wilmington,

No Drawing Y., asslgnor e Nemours a Company, Del-., a corporation of Delaware Application October 25, slu, Serial No. 415,601

1 Claim. (Cl. 117-86) This invention relates to cellulose derivative coated fabrics which may be readily cleaned of stains resulting from colored cosmetics, foodstuffs, etc, and more particularly to cellulose nitrate coated fabrics having a surface coating of a cellulose derivative resistant to permanent staining. 5

At the present time cellulose nitrate coated fabrics have achieved widespread use in the manufacture of ladies handbags or pocketbooks as a result of the long wearing qualities and the unique combinations of grains and colors to which the material is adapted. In the ladies pocketbook field, the coated fabric is usedboth as an outside covering as well as an inside lining material. As far as initial appearance and wearing qualities are concerned, these materials have been accepted by the trade-as being satisfactory. The cellulose nitrate coated fabrics are produced in an unlimited variety of colors, grains and finishes which are generally considered to be "washable since the coating is not water soluble. However, improvement is desired in the case of white and pastel shades which are employed in making ladies pocketbooks for use,

during the spring and summer seasons, since the lighter shades become readily soiled by colored cosmetics, such as lipstick, rouge, face powder, etc. Such stains cannot be removed from-the surface of the nitro-cellulose coatings by conventional cleaning methods available in the home which employ soap and water, carbon tetrachloride, and commercial dry cleaning fluids. Once nitrocellulose coated fabrics, becomes soiled by colored cosmetics it is usually considered unusable since such stains cannot be readily removed and the pocketbook is discarded.

White and light colored cellulose nitrate coated fabrics are also extensively used as a table cover instead of untreated linen. The nitrocellulose coated fabric table covers are considered washable and are accepted by the trade as being satisfactory as regards initial appearance and wearing qualitles.- However, there is further improvement desired in this type of product with respect to resistance to permanent staining by foodstuffs, such as, e. g., cocoa, catsup, coii'ee, turmeric, prepared mustards, fruit juices, fats, oils, etc.

As a result of a great deal of research on-the permanent stain resistanceiof various film forming materials, several were found which permitted removal of stains resulting from the materials mentioned above. However, many of the film forming materials which permitted the ready rematerials which will readily anchor to cellulose film-forming substance which will readily anchor a white or pastel shade pocketbook, made from nitrate, include cellulose nitrate, nylon, ethyl cellulose, and gelatin; these materials, however, are not resistant to permanent staining by colored cosmetics and foodstufls. The desideratum is a to a pyroxylin surface without intermediate bonding substance and which may be readily cleaned from stains resulting from colored cosmetics, foodstuffs, etc. a I

This invention therefore has as a primary object the minimization or elimination of the aforesaid disadvantages inherent in products or coatings consisting essentially of nitrocellulose compositions, while at the same time preserving and utilizing the aforesaid advantageous properties thereof. More particularly theobject is to provide asurface coat which will anchor satisfactorily to nitrocellulose and at the same time be resistant to lipstick and the 'llke.

This object, as well as other important but subsidiary objects which will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds; is accomplished according to the invention by applying directly to a nitrocellulose containing base, a surface coating consistingessentially of a cellulose aceto propionate or cellulose aceto. butyrate as the film-forming ingredient.- The term directly implies n0 intermediate anchoring coat.

The following is one embodiment given by way of illustration and not limitatio stood that the invention is not limited thereto.

Exmru I To a woven cotton fabric running 1.32 yards per pound perv 53" width and having a sateen weave was applied a plurality of coats' of a cellulose nitrate coating of the following approxition is well known in 'Ihe volatile solit being underembossing treatment at the half-way stage of' coating operation by passing it between heated pressure rolls.

The thustreated material was given one or more final coats of the following composition:

Surface coating composition Per cent by weight Cellulose aceto propionate 18.75 Ethyl phthallyl ethyl glycollate 6.25 Ethyl alcohol. 37.50 Ethyl aceta 37.50

The volatile solvents were expelled by passing the coated fabric through a heated chamber. The material had a bright, glossy finish as it emerged from the drying chamber and the surface coating was firmly anchored to the nitrocellulose coating. Sufficient surface coating composition was applied to deposit approximately 1 to 2 ounces of non-volatile components per yard per 50" width. The thus-treated material was next ornamented by embossing treatments. Either the roller or plate type embossing may be employed. Depnding upon the appearance desired in the finished product, the embossing operationmay or may not be followed by the application of the additional coat of the non-staining surface coating before the material is made up into ladies handbags.

EXAMPLE II A coated fabric was also prepared in the same manner as described in Example I except the final surface coating composition was as follows:

Per cent by weight Cellulose nitra to 12.35 Ethyl alnnhnl 43.82 Ethyl aceta 43.83

The coated fabrics prepared in accordance with Examples I and II were identical in appearance, color, luster and had similar wearing qualities. Both coated fabrics were stained with red lipstick (indelible), purple duplicating pencil, black carbon paper, red wax pencil (crayon), prepared mustard, coffee, cocoa, catsup, mercurochrome and merthiolate, and allowed to stand over night; the stains on the cellulose nitrate surfaced material could not be removed when rubbed with a cloth saturated with known solfree of all colored stains produced with the materials mentionedabove by rubbing the stains with a cloth saturated with any one of the following solvents which are non-solvents for the cellulose aceto propionate; such as carbon tetrachloride, ethyl alcohol, benzene, toluol, water, and a mixture of equal parts of carbon tetrachloride and benzene. The colored stains were also removed with the aid of soap and water alone. Practically all of the stains are removed with the aid of a dry cloth but a slight trace of color remained which was readily removed by the solvents mentioned above.

When the colored markings were allowed to remain on the coated fabrics for a period of two weeks before attempting to remove them, as in the case where the stains were allowed to remain on the coated fabrics over night, none of the stains could be removed from the nitrocellulose surfaced material, whereas the two week old stains Were all readily removed from the cellulose aceto propionate surfaced material with the aid of any of the solvents for the coloring matter which are non-solvents for the cellulose aceto propionate, which are mentioned above. The two week old stains on the cellulose aceto 'propionate surfaced material were also readily removed with the aid of soap and water.

Instead of the cellulose aceto proplonate com-' position described in the preferred embodiment equally good results have been obtained with the following composition when applied as a surface coat over a pyroxylin containing bas material.

EXAMPLE 111 Percent by weight Cellulose aceto butyrate 18.75

Mixture of ortho and para toluene ethyl sulfonamides 6.25 Ethyl alcohol l 37.50 Ethyl aceta 37.50

Percent by weight Cellulose aceto propionatem 17.90 Zinc oxide 13.84

Mixture of ortho and para toluene ethyl sulfonamide 6.92 Ethyl alcohol 30.67 Ethyl acetate 30.67

Coated fabrics having surface coats as described in Examples HI and IV possessed the same resistance to permanent staining as did the material described in Example I.

Exmru: V Still another modification of the invention is the production of a highly glazed, readily clean-. able, coated fabric resistant to piping, having a nitrocellulose base coating and a surface coating deposited from the following coating com- The highly glazed coated fabric which is resistant to permanent staining has the added ad- 2,344,495 art that the invention can be utilized with any pyroxylin coated fabric construction or pyroxy-.

lin surfaced material which may be flexible or rigid. There is no limitation to be placed upon the composition of the pyroxylin material which may be .surfaced in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

The plasticizer for the cellulose aceto propionate or cellulose aceto butyrate is preferably one which is not a solvent for such waxes as ceresin and stearic acid which are commonly used in lipsticks, wax pencils, etc. Plasticizers for the cellulose aceto propionate or cellulose aceto butyrate other than those mentioned in the examples which have been found to be satisfactory for the purpose of this invention are triethylene glycol dihexoate, dibutyl tartrate and triethylene glycol dicaprylate.

It has been found that the stain retention of the surface layer is in proportion to the amount of plasticizer content present in the surface layer. It has been discovered that if the plasticizer content of the surface coat is increased beyond 65% of the total amount of nonvolatile components of the surface layer, that the stains produced by colored cosmetics, foodas materials having a lower plasticizer content.-

, the aid of soap and water.

cloths, the products of the invention will also find great utility in other fields. The ready removal of colored cosmetic stains from the coated fabric makes it particularly useful as an optical case covering, since such cases are frequently carried in ladies handbags and are susceptible to becoming stained with colored cosmetics. Another important field in which the products of the invention are useful is the lacquered wall covers for kitchen installation, since stains resulting from foodstuffs are readily removed with Still another important use for the product of this invention is for mattress covers and hospital upholstery due to the ready removal of stains which are normally encountered in the use of such material.

The outstanding advantage of the material produced in accordance with the teachings herein is-the ready removal from the coated fabrics of stains produced by colored cosmetics such as, e. g., lipstick, rouge. face powder, etc., as well as the readyremoval of food stains, such as,

In the case of coated fabrics which are to be coating and the non-staining cellulose acetopropionate or cellulose aceto butyrate surface coat.. Therefore, it is desirable to employ as much plasticizer in the non-staining surface coat as is consistent withstain resistance on materials which are to be subjected to folding or bending. 4

There is no-limitation on the pigments to be used in practicing this invention which be any single pigment, or mixture of pigments, to pro-- duce the desired shade.

While the invention has been described with respect to the manufacture of material to be used for ladies handbags both as an outer cover and inside lining, as well as lacquered tablee. g., prepared mustard, cocoa, coffee, catsup, turmeric. fats, oils, fruit juices. etc. Other important advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of coated fabrics.

It is apparent that many widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore, it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claim.

I claim:

A light colored coated fabric adapted for making handbags and the like and which is highly resistant to permanent staining by colored cosmetics and foodstuifs which comprises a base fabric having a coating of a composition weighing approximately 15 ounces of non-volatile material per yard of 50 inch width fabric, the

film-forming ingredient of the said composition con'sisting essentially of cellulose nitrate and in contact with the said composition a surface coating containing about -3 parts of a mixed ester of cellulose selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetopropionate and cellulose acetobutyrate and about 1 part of a solvent plasticizer therefor, said surface coating being present in the amount of about 1 to 2 ounces of non-volatile components per yard of 50 inch width material.

MERLE H. CHAMBERLIN. 

